Finding a job is hard enough these days, as evidenced by the stubbornly high unemployment rate in the U.S., which ticked up to 9% in April 2011, according to the Labor Department. As if massive downsizing, intense competition for jobs and outsourcing weren't enough, American workers must also contend with misguided hiring practices that are prevalent in virtually every industry in the country. Following are three unfair and inappropriate hiring practices that discriminate against millions of would-be employees, contribute to higher levels of chronic unemployment, and pose potential threats to job-hunters' financial security.